Facebook Is Expanding It’s Altoona, Iowa Data Center

Facebook's 2.5 million square foot data center in Altoona, Iowa is about to get even bigger. The city of Altoona voted to approve an expansion of the facility on Monday. Facebook plans to add a $400 million building to the center. It will bring in 70 more jobs, raising the total to 400.

As part of the deal, Facebook will not pay any property taxes on the facility. It will instead make a payment for every new square foot of construction. That's a decision that has some in the community upset. Other business owners say it's unfair that Facebook has avoided paying taxes. They say that the town needs revenue and Facebook could have provided that. City officials are standing firm that the deal is good for Altoona.

Facebook will pay around 60% in fees of what they would have paid in property taxes. The next building will be around 1 million square feet, so based on the pay per square foot plan, Facebook will pay around $3 million a year for the next 20 years on that building alone.